Aaron Bruski

The Daily Dose

Daily Dose: Sammy Delight

If you had Samuel Dalembert hitting 17-of-21 shots for a career-high 35 points with 12 rebounds, you are probably Samuel Dalembert. I went back and watched every bucket just to see what type of vintage Dally performance we would be talking about, and the best I can say is that he made a lot of wide open shots and feasted on some awful JaVale McGee defense and the poor Nuggets defense in general. One of his misses was an offensive tip attempt, too, and one has to think he earned a chance at a greater role going forward, but the question is whether or not he will do anything with it. The Sacramento reporters covering him lamented the fact that Dalembert fancied himself god’s gift to offensive basketball, which led to cringe-inducing fallaway jumpers and the like. It’s the reason he has flamed out in both Houston and Milwaukee, and here’s guessing that one game doesn’t change that body of work. So is he worth an add? Only if the wire is bare and you have dead weight.

Larry Sanders took a hard fall in a play that had the makings of one of the great dunk/challenges in recent memory, as Kenneth Faried came into the paint with nobody around and rose up early and high when he saw Sanders in the lane. Sanders’ effort wasn’t what one would have expected, perhaps because of how early Faried took off in the air, but regardless the result was Sanders getting knocked on his butt and out of the game. It was later in the fourth quarter so it’s possible they kept him out for precautionary purposes, but any report to indicate the injury will cost him further games will help Dalembert’s cause, obviously.

With the Dalembert experience trolling around Denver’s paint, Ersan Ilyasova (six points, four rebounds, two assists) was limited to just 24 minutes. Factor in Monta Ellis (6-of-21 FGs) and Brandon Jennings (5-of-15 FGs) trying to outshoot one another and he had no chance. Ilyasova was hot coming in so owners shouldn’t be heading for the exits, but it’s understandable that everybody is gun shy with the inconsistent fantasy asset.

Same Story, Good Enough For Win in Denver

The Nuggets had enough guys play well to take the win at home against the Bucks, but some familiar fantasy headaches popped up. Ty Lawson (22 points, seven assists) and Andre Iguodala (eight points, five boards, five assists, four steals, two blocks) couldn’t get it going offensively on the same night, though Iggy’s owners won’t care with that defensive effort. Kosta Koufos (six points, eight boards, no blocks) played just 17 minutes, which is disconcerting because JaVale McGee (eight points, five boards, four blocks, 18 minutes) didn’t look good despite the block total. It’s safe to move on from Koufos and McGee is the same untapped upside guy that looks like a bust. Corey Brewer scored 20 points and is worth a look while he’s hot despite his inconsistent bench roll.

News and Notes

Keith Smart said that he has decided he’s going with Isaiah Thomas and Jimmer Fredette as his two point guards, leaving Aaron Brooks out of the rotation. It’s shocking that it took a professional basketball coach this long to make this happen, and it’s unclear if Smart even knows the reasons for why he did it. This does, however, look and smell like a chance for Thomas to play 30+ mpg going forward. And even if Smart would rather have offense-killers Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, John Salmons, and even Chuck Hayes run the point rather than his only traditional point guard, Thomas will be able to hold value at that rate.

Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis) is targeting a Thursday return, and to sum up my feeling on the matter my concern is that he’ll try to play through something he should be resting and get knocked out for more time. That actually happened with this injury in 2009-10, and Tom Thibodeau runs his players into the ground, but I need to couch all of this by saying it’s not guaranteed that this happens. This is just my fear.

Wednesday Night Lights

BOS @ TOR:Andrea Bargnani (elbow) is expected to return and come off the bench, and it’s logical that the Raptors would want to give him plenty of touches to enhance his trade value. Whether or not Rudy Gay and Co. see things that way is another story, but regardless the time is now to stash Bargnani with hopes that he gets traded to a favorable situation. Is he a must-add player? Not if you’re stacked and not if you’re in a shallow league. He has mid-round upside in the most optimistic of scenarios. Landry Fields (back) is out as his role in Toronto has been threatened overnight. As for Boston, it’s just another night trying to figure out who separates from the pack in the wake of the Rajon Rondo injury.

NYK @ WAS:Bradley Beal (shooting wrist) did some light shooting and is questionable for tonight. If he is indeed good to go then he’s worth a look if he has been dropped. I just foresee some rough patches until the Wizards officially go young or somebody in the backcourt gets hurt. Several Knicks players have been lackluster lately, including Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, and J.R. Smith. This is a decent place for one or more of them to get on track.

CHA @ CLE:Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (concussion) seemed doubtful for tonight 24 hours ago, and his absence has opened things up for the five-guard rotation. Byron Mullens played heavy minutes in his return on Monday and is a viable option in fantasy lineups. I’ll be watching Marreese Speights closely tonight. I added him in a big money league for about $140 of $1,000 FAAB dollars with plenty of budget remaining, and the hope is that he severely outplays Tyler Zeller and forces the rookie into a secondary role. There is also some hope that he has matured after a few pit stops and drill sergeant Byron Scott can keep him in line on the court.

IND @ PHI: The news on Thaddeus Young (hamstring) came back pretty bad but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. He will miss a minimum of three weeks and that means he should be held in any format that doesn’t strictly penalize owners for holding injured players. Spencer Hawes jumps into must-own stats, and LaVoy Allen and Dorell Wright each get a bump. There was also an update on Andrew Bynum (knees), and while it seems like reading the tea leaves with everything Bynum says could be a mistake, it sure didn’t sound like he’s sure about his return. You’ve come too far to not hang on just a little bit longer, but if reports start to head south then dropping him has to be on the table.

LAC @ ORL:Blake Griffin (hamstring) will be a game-time decision and while his absence on Monday was precautionary, the fact the Clips are playing the Magic could mean an extra game’s worth of rest. ESPN LA speculates that Chris Paul (knee cap) could return as soon as Friday or Sunday, and officially he is day-to-day after working with the team for their last two practices. Chauncey Billups could play anytime this week, and his return will eat away at the wing positions more than anything else. We will be waiting for a boatload of updates on the Magic guys, including J.J. Redick, Jameer Nelson, Arron Afflalo, and DeQuan Jones.

MEM @ ATL:Devin Harris (ankle) did not travel to Indy for last night’s game and is questionable for tonight’s home game against the Grizzlies. I’m pretty much done with entertaining any value for him until he proves it with some consistent results. The fact he can’t stay on the court following Lou Williams’ season-ender is telling.

HOU @ MIA: Other than Carlos Delfino, there are no injury question marks for either team and most fantasy pieces are well-labeled at this time.

BKY @ DET:Andre Drummond (back) is “good to go” for tonight and we’ll get another look at the Jose Calderon show tonight. Brandon Knight struggled in Calderon’s debut and is likely a bit shell-shocked knowing that the organization has brought in somebody to ease the load on him, so early struggles aren’t too surprising. He’ll probably level out toward the type of numbers we saw last year when he was deployed in a shooting guard role. And to the reader that spent way too much of their day telling me that fantasy analysts don’t understand basketball and that there was no way that Calderon would run the point, you’re officially famous, Mr. Laukonis.

GSW @ OKC: As mentioned, Andrew Bogut (ankle) won’t play tonight but other than that both teams are at full strength. I wish I could say the Warriors would bounce back, but after beating the Thunder at Oracle and getting their panties in a bunch last night I’m guessing they get worked tonight.

PHO @ NO:Eric Gordon (back, knee) will play tonight and with a bunch of rest look for him to put up a nice night against the defenseless Suns. For my money, if I owned Gordon I’d have my sell-high offers ready to go so they land on owners’ plates in the middle of his good game.

POR @ DAL:Nicolas Batum’s wrist MRI came back clean, and for now it looks like he’ll play through the pain. For the millionth time, beware of shooting wrist injuries, but in the case of Batum you need to be very picky if you look to move him. On the good news/bad news front, the Blazers will literally implode without Batum which is why he’s playing through the pain. Chris Kaman (concussion) did some light shooting but still hasn’t practiced, so his return is at least a few days out. Vince Carter (flu) did not practice and is questionable, and if he doesn’t go look for the starters to absorb most of his value.

MIL @ UTA:Gordon Hayward’s shoulder injury doesn’t sound great, and owners can certainly consider a drop but I’ll personally be waiting until news worsens significantly and/or until the trading deadline. It doesn’t hurt that the Jazz’s point guards are banged up. Keep an eye out for Larry Sanders news, as we’ll all be patiently waiting to learn the big man’s status.

SA @ MIN:Andrei Kirilenko (quad) is questionable for tonight and could be a game-time call. I like Dante Cunningham over Derrick Williams as beneficiaries. Nikola Pekovic said that his groin was limiting him, but he has been playing great so he should remain in all lineups. Tim Duncan is traveling with the Spurs on their nine-game road trip and is questionable for tonight, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll play. The good news is that the injury doesn’t appear to be too serious, and the bad news is that it gives Gregg Popovich plenty of ammo to give him prescribed rest. Manu Ginobili is also doubtful with his hamstring injury, and this all profiles well for guys like Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Tiago Splitter.

Tuesday nights have a knack for being light, fun nights that include a few big lines, a breakout player or two, and otherwise serve as a way to get prepared for Big Wednesday. Last night was no different as Samuel Dalembert came out of nowhere to put up a 17-of-21 shooting line, Pau Gasol went down to plantar fasciitis, and there was plenty of action to talk about this morning.

Jeff Teague continued to pour it on in a forgettable loss to the Pacers, scoring 24 points with eight assists, a steal, and a block. With the team lacking playmakers, he’s going to tote the rock enough to be a threat for big numbers nightly.

The Pacemaker

The Paul George show went on as he scored 29 points with five treys, five boards, and four assists, as did the impressive play of Lance Stephenson (14 points, six boards, three assists, two threes, one block). Stephenson has somewhat risky short-term appeal in standard leagues with Danny Granger’s return nearing.

Gasol Goes Down

Pau Gasol may have heard a “pop” in his plantar fascia during last night’s game, but that sound you heard was Laker nation getting kicked in the groin. He will get evaluated today and one has to think he’s in for a significant absence, so Antawn Jamison (nine points, eight boards, one three, 37 minutes) has immediate appeal that could turn into lasting appeal should Gasol and Dwight Howard (shoulder, day-to-day) remain out. Metta World Peace did not play after getting assessed a one-game suspension for punching Brandon Knight in the throat, but I’d have to be fairly loaded not to take a flier on Jamison at this point.

Earl Clark (14 points, 12 boards, one steal, one block, 42 minutes) should have been owned before tonight and his value gets solidified with Gasol’s injury. Kobe Bryant’s right forearm issue is lingering and he had another subpar night shooting the ball, hitting 9-of-24 shots with zero threes and an otherwise full line. It’s got to kill him that Howard isn’t playing, right or wrong.

Same Old Story

The Nets couldn’t buy a bucket last night as Deron Williams (5-of-13 FGs), Joe Johnson (4-of-15 FGs), and Gerald Wallace (3-of-10 FGs) were the main culprits. Brook Lopez hit just 11-of-25 shots, but at least that led to 30 points, 11 boards, and three blocks in a loss to the wounded Lakers. Wallace finished with nine points, three rebounds, four assists, three steals, and a three in 36 minutes, and owners should get used to calling this type of production a win. Chances are he’ll step into a slightly better offensive role (it can’t get worse), but barring a major injury he is an expensive glue guy on this team and nothing more. In the one league I added him in I’m holding for the time-being.

Pulling the String

The Suns went into Memphis and snagged a win, which may say more about the Grizzlies than anything right now. Lindsay Hunter pulled some interesting strings benching Jared Dudley (0-for-5 FGs, 17 minutes) for Kendall Marshall (11 points, four assists, three treys, 33 minutes), and seeing those 3-point makes one has to think he’ll be going the Jason Kidd route to shooting in the NBA. I need to see more than one good game to think that Marshall has any portion of his shooting issues worked out, and he is still nowhere near a threat to Goran Dragic (17 points, four assists).

Marcin Gortat scored 20 points with seven boards but annoyingly did not have a steal or block, and Michael Beasley did what Michael Beasley does with six points and five boards in 21 minutes off the bench. Blame it on the off-court drama if you want, but the bottom line is that consistency may be a career-long issue.

Flushing It Out

I’m going to give Memphis a pass for another week or so, as they dealt with the Rudy Gay drama that appeared to be pretty bad internally and could easily need that time to get right. Zach Randolph’s back injury wasn’t an issue as he went for 21 and 13, but everybody else suffered except for Jerryd Bayless, who scored 29 points on 11-of-15 shooting. He’s not positioned incredibly for long-term value, but the Grizzlies might have him pegged for some of Gay’s touches. He’s worth an add, but carries some risk of fizzling out. Tayshaun Prince scored 11 points on 5-of-12 shooting with six rebounds, four assists, and three steals in his first start. He appears to be cemented into a heavy role and is worth a look for his low-end value.

Sour Grapes

Every time my Warriors have me on the edge of believing that they’re a solid bottom half of the bracket playoff team they go and do something to muck it up, as they did in last night’s blowout loss in Houston. Yes, every team will have their off-nights and it’s not a good idea to factor any such night too heavily into an evaluation. But from coach to player they complained about the Rockets running up the score – as if the Rockets were supposed to cross halfcourt and just hand them the ball – and it’s this kind of stupid that worries me the most.

After lucking into an addition by subtraction situation dealing Monta Ellis, enhanced by additions of Jarrett Jack, Carl Landry, and Draymond Green, they have been very good frontrunners. But between running players onto the court too early, a rah-rah attitude that fails to look at its own flaws, and questionable decision-making out of the coaching box I still need to see more to be convinced that this group has any chance of getting out of the first round barring a weird matchup. I like what GM Bob Myers has done, but Mark Jackson’s wistful, coach by narrative philosophy overseeing a group of contracts that can’t win a title isn’t doing it for me long-term, either. Once Warriors fans get over the honeymoon of having an owner that actually cares, these will be issues that need resolution.

As for the game, Golden Boy David Lee hit 8-of-10 shots for 18 and seven, but was typically worked over down low in a reminder that there are two sides of the floor. Stephen Curry hit 3-of-12 shots for seven points and nine assists, Klay Thompson hit 3-of-5 shots for six points and not much else, and the bench played most of the second half in the Warriors’ 31-point loss. Jarrett Jack scored 20 points with five assists, Carl Landry scored 12 points with five boards, and Andrew Bogut played 25 minutes on his way to 10 points, nine boards, three assists, and one block. Bogut won’t play tonight against the Thunder but he has done well when on the floor so owners should hold on for now.

Rockets Tie NBA 3-Point Shooting Record

The Rockets cruised and tied an NBA record for 3-pointers made with 23 triples, and heading that list was iffy for last night Jeremy Lin (ankle), who hit five total to finish with 28 points, nine assists, and one steal. Hopefully he was in your lineup. There weren’t any major revelations and owners shouldn’t read into a blowout win of this type, though Patrick Patterson’s 12 points and 10 boards continue a recent return to productivity. Carlos Delfino (elbow) did not play last night and is already ruled out for tonight’s game.

Sammy Delight

If you had Samuel Dalembert hitting 17-of-21 shots for a career-high 35 points with 12 rebounds, you are probably Samuel Dalembert. I went back and watched every bucket just to see what type of vintage Dally performance we would be talking about, and the best I can say is that he made a lot of wide open shots and feasted on some awful JaVale McGee defense and the poor Nuggets defense in general. One of his misses was an offensive tip attempt, too, and one has to think he earned a chance at a greater role going forward, but the question is whether or not he will do anything with it. The Sacramento reporters covering him lamented the fact that Dalembert fancied himself god’s gift to offensive basketball, which led to cringe-inducing fallaway jumpers and the like. It’s the reason he has flamed out in both Houston and Milwaukee, and here’s guessing that one game doesn’t change that body of work. So is he worth an add? Only if the wire is bare and you have dead weight.

Larry Sanders took a hard fall in a play that had the makings of one of the great dunk/challenges in recent memory, as Kenneth Faried came into the paint with nobody around and rose up early and high when he saw Sanders in the lane. Sanders’ effort wasn’t what one would have expected, perhaps because of how early Faried took off in the air, but regardless the result was Sanders getting knocked on his butt and out of the game. It was later in the fourth quarter so it’s possible they kept him out for precautionary purposes, but any report to indicate the injury will cost him further games will help Dalembert’s cause, obviously.

With the Dalembert experience trolling around Denver’s paint, Ersan Ilyasova (six points, four rebounds, two assists) was limited to just 24 minutes. Factor in Monta Ellis (6-of-21 FGs) and Brandon Jennings (5-of-15 FGs) trying to outshoot one another and he had no chance. Ilyasova was hot coming in so owners shouldn’t be heading for the exits, but it’s understandable that everybody is gun shy with the inconsistent fantasy asset.

Same Story, Good Enough For Win in Denver

The Nuggets had enough guys play well to take the win at home against the Bucks, but some familiar fantasy headaches popped up. Ty Lawson (22 points, seven assists) and Andre Iguodala (eight points, five boards, five assists, four steals, two blocks) couldn’t get it going offensively on the same night, though Iggy’s owners won’t care with that defensive effort. Kosta Koufos (six points, eight boards, no blocks) played just 17 minutes, which is disconcerting because JaVale McGee (eight points, five boards, four blocks, 18 minutes) didn’t look good despite the block total. It’s safe to move on from Koufos and McGee is the same untapped upside guy that looks like a bust. Corey Brewer scored 20 points and is worth a look while he’s hot despite his inconsistent bench roll.

News and Notes

Keith Smart said that he has decided he’s going with Isaiah Thomas and Jimmer Fredette as his two point guards, leaving Aaron Brooks out of the rotation. It’s shocking that it took a professional basketball coach this long to make this happen, and it’s unclear if Smart even knows the reasons for why he did it. This does, however, look and smell like a chance for Thomas to play 30+ mpg going forward. And even if Smart would rather have offense-killers Tyreke Evans, DeMarcus Cousins, John Salmons, and even Chuck Hayes run the point rather than his only traditional point guard, Thomas will be able to hold value at that rate.

Joakim Noah (plantar fasciitis) is targeting a Thursday return, and to sum up my feeling on the matter my concern is that he’ll try to play through something he should be resting and get knocked out for more time. That actually happened with this injury in 2009-10, and Tom Thibodeau runs his players into the ground, but I need to couch all of this by saying it’s not guaranteed that this happens. This is just my fear.

Wednesday Night Lights

BOS @ TOR:Andrea Bargnani (elbow) is expected to return and come off the bench, and it’s logical that the Raptors would want to give him plenty of touches to enhance his trade value. Whether or not Rudy Gay and Co. see things that way is another story, but regardless the time is now to stash Bargnani with hopes that he gets traded to a favorable situation. Is he a must-add player? Not if you’re stacked and not if you’re in a shallow league. He has mid-round upside in the most optimistic of scenarios. Landry Fields (back) is out as his role in Toronto has been threatened overnight. As for Boston, it’s just another night trying to figure out who separates from the pack in the wake of the Rajon Rondo injury.

NYK @ WAS:Bradley Beal (shooting wrist) did some light shooting and is questionable for tonight. If he is indeed good to go then he’s worth a look if he has been dropped. I just foresee some rough patches until the Wizards officially go young or somebody in the backcourt gets hurt. Several Knicks players have been lackluster lately, including Raymond Felton, Jason Kidd, and J.R. Smith. This is a decent place for one or more of them to get on track.

CHA @ CLE:Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (concussion) seemed doubtful for tonight 24 hours ago, and his absence has opened things up for the five-guard rotation. Byron Mullens played heavy minutes in his return on Monday and is a viable option in fantasy lineups. I’ll be watching Marreese Speights closely tonight. I added him in a big money league for about $140 of $1,000 FAAB dollars with plenty of budget remaining, and the hope is that he severely outplays Tyler Zeller and forces the rookie into a secondary role. There is also some hope that he has matured after a few pit stops and drill sergeant Byron Scott can keep him in line on the court.

IND @ PHI: The news on Thaddeus Young (hamstring) came back pretty bad but it wasn’t as bad as it could have been. He will miss a minimum of three weeks and that means he should be held in any format that doesn’t strictly penalize owners for holding injured players. Spencer Hawes jumps into must-own stats, and LaVoy Allen and Dorell Wright each get a bump. There was also an update on Andrew Bynum (knees), and while it seems like reading the tea leaves with everything Bynum says could be a mistake, it sure didn’t sound like he’s sure about his return. You’ve come too far to not hang on just a little bit longer, but if reports start to head south then dropping him has to be on the table.

LAC @ ORL:Blake Griffin (hamstring) will be a game-time decision and while his absence on Monday was precautionary, the fact the Clips are playing the Magic could mean an extra game’s worth of rest. ESPN LA speculates that Chris Paul (knee cap) could return as soon as Friday or Sunday, and officially he is day-to-day after working with the team for their last two practices. Chauncey Billups could play anytime this week, and his return will eat away at the wing positions more than anything else. We will be waiting for a boatload of updates on the Magic guys, including J.J. Redick, Jameer Nelson, Arron Afflalo, and DeQuan Jones.

MEM @ ATL:Devin Harris (ankle) did not travel to Indy for last night’s game and is questionable for tonight’s home game against the Grizzlies. I’m pretty much done with entertaining any value for him until he proves it with some consistent results. The fact he can’t stay on the court following Lou Williams’ season-ender is telling.

HOU @ MIA: Other than Carlos Delfino, there are no injury question marks for either team and most fantasy pieces are well-labeled at this time.

BKY @ DET:Andre Drummond (back) is “good to go” for tonight and we’ll get another look at the Jose Calderon show tonight. Brandon Knight struggled in Calderon’s debut and is likely a bit shell-shocked knowing that the organization has brought in somebody to ease the load on him, so early struggles aren’t too surprising. He’ll probably level out toward the type of numbers we saw last year when he was deployed in a shooting guard role. And to the reader that spent way too much of their day telling me that fantasy analysts don’t understand basketball and that there was no way that Calderon would run the point, you’re officially famous, Mr. Laukonis.

GSW @ OKC: As mentioned, Andrew Bogut (ankle) won’t play tonight but other than that both teams are at full strength. I wish I could say the Warriors would bounce back, but after beating the Thunder at Oracle and getting their panties in a bunch last night I’m guessing they get worked tonight.

PHO @ NO:Eric Gordon (back, knee) will play tonight and with a bunch of rest look for him to put up a nice night against the defenseless Suns. For my money, if I owned Gordon I’d have my sell-high offers ready to go so they land on owners’ plates in the middle of his good game.

POR @ DAL:Nicolas Batum’s wrist MRI came back clean, and for now it looks like he’ll play through the pain. For the millionth time, beware of shooting wrist injuries, but in the case of Batum you need to be very picky if you look to move him. On the good news/bad news front, the Blazers will literally implode without Batum which is why he’s playing through the pain. Chris Kaman (concussion) did some light shooting but still hasn’t practiced, so his return is at least a few days out. Vince Carter (flu) did not practice and is questionable, and if he doesn’t go look for the starters to absorb most of his value.

MIL @ UTA:Gordon Hayward’s shoulder injury doesn’t sound great, and owners can certainly consider a drop but I’ll personally be waiting until news worsens significantly and/or until the trading deadline. It doesn’t hurt that the Jazz’s point guards are banged up. Keep an eye out for Larry Sanders news, as we’ll all be patiently waiting to learn the big man’s status.

SA @ MIN:Andrei Kirilenko (quad) is questionable for tonight and could be a game-time call. I like Dante Cunningham over Derrick Williams as beneficiaries. Nikola Pekovic said that his groin was limiting him, but he has been playing great so he should remain in all lineups. Tim Duncan is traveling with the Spurs on their nine-game road trip and is questionable for tonight, but it doesn’t sound like he’ll play. The good news is that the injury doesn’t appear to be too serious, and the bad news is that it gives Gregg Popovich plenty of ammo to give him prescribed rest. Manu Ginobili is also doubtful with his hamstring injury, and this all profiles well for guys like Kawhi Leonard, Danny Green, and Tiago Splitter.

Aaron Bruski has covered hoops for Rotoworld since 2008 and has competed in national fantasy sports competitions for nearly two decades. In 2015 he was named FSWA Basketball Writer of the Year. You can also find his work over at ProBasketballTalk, where he received critical acclaim for his in-depth reporting of the Kings' relocation saga. Hit him on Twitter at Aaronbruski.Email :Aaron Bruski